Computerized mapping systems traditionally provide a top-down presentation of the mapping data. Enhancing the mapping system with street-level imagery presents various interface challenges: such as dealing with navigation within the street-level view, including turning at intersections, and correlating the user's location and orientation on a map with the user's location and orientation within the street-level view, both in absolute terms (e.g., latitude, longitude, and heading) and relative to landmarks like city streets and intersections. Recently, A9 BlockView (no longer online) and Windows Live Local Technology Preview powered by Microsoft Virtual Earth (http://preview.local.live.com) have attempted to provide a usable interface to street-level views of a city. A9 BlockView addressed the orientation problem by flattening imagery into two strips, so that the user does not have the freedom to look around 360 degrees. Windows Live Local presents a “car” view of street-level imagery which is rotated in 90 degree increments by manipulating a car avatar on the map view.